Local conditions still matter
Rankings use ZIP-based hardiness, light, soil, water, and goal fit. Microclimates, drainage, soil pH, heat, chill hours, and local invasive lists can change the final answer.
Plant by ZIP
What should I grow here?
Enter a ZIP code and garden goal to get climate-aware plant picks, planting windows, and practical next steps for your place.
Ranked picks
Enter a ZIP code to start.
Not sure about soil defaults to loam. Recommendations are practical starting points, not local extension advice.
Rankings are based on plant fit, not partner links. Direct affiliate listings are labeled and may earn a commission; ordinary source links are supplier searches.
Saved garden plan
Your saved list
Saved locally in this browser.
Before you plant
Use these recommendations as a strong starting point.
Privacy basics
Saved plans stay in this browser and store zone, conditions, and plant IDs. ZIP codes are used for lookup and are not saved in local plan storage.
Source links
Direct affiliate listings are labeled before you click. Supplier search links are separate from rankings, and native flags are not yet a county-level native-range database.
Planning guides
Browse Plant by ZIP without starting from search.
These crawlable guides expose the plant database by season, purpose, water needs, and site fit while keeping ZIP-based results inside the matcher.
Planting calendar Use ZIP-based hardiness and frost context to plan seed-starting, direct-sow, transplanting, and nursery planting windows. Native plants Browse native-flagged plants that can support habitat, pollinators, edible landscapes, and lower-maintenance planting plans. Fruit trees Compare fruit trees and tree-like edible plants by hardiness range, water needs, spacing, first output, and sourced yield data. Privacy shrubs Find plants for screening, edible hedges, visual buffers, and wildlife-friendly privacy by zone, water, soil, and mature size. Low-water plants Browse drought-tolerant and lower-water plant options for edible, native, ornamental, and screening goals. Vegetables & herbs Browse vegetable and herb profiles by hardiness range, light, soil, water, timing, spacing, container fit, and output data. Pollinator plants Compare flowers, herbs, shrubs, natives, and habitat plants that support pollinators and wildlife while fitting real garden conditions. Container plants Find edible, ornamental, and habitat plants that can work in containers, patio beds, raised beds, and smaller spaces. Shade plants Browse plants that tolerate shade or part sun, including edible, native, ornamental, and ground-layer options for lower-light gardens. Clay soil plants Compare plants marked suitable for clay soils, including native perennials, shrubs, fruiting plants, and practical garden crops. Sandy soil plants Find plants that can work in sandy, fast-draining, or lower-moisture sites when water and mulch are managed well. Edible hedges Compare fruiting shrubs, cane fruit, vines, small trees, and screening plants that can add harvest value and structure.
Zone 7a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7a gardens. Zone 7b calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7b gardens. Zone 8a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 8a gardens. Plant now in 7a See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7a based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Plant now in 7b See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7b based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Fruit trees 7b Compare fruit trees, berries, nut trees, and woody edibles for USDA zone 7b using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, spacing, and output data. Fruit trees 8a Compare fruit trees, nut trees, citrus-adjacent plants, and woody edibles for USDA zone 8a using Plant by ZIP data. Native plants 7 Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7 gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data. Native plants 7b Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7b gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data.
ZIP planting planner
Planting Calendar
Enter a ZIP code to turn the plant database into estimated seed-starting, transplanting, direct-sow, and nursery planting windows for your hardiness zone.
Zone -- USDA hardiness
Last frost -- spring estimate
First frost -- fall estimate
Growing season -- frost-free days
Right now
Today in your zone
Build a calendar to see what overlaps this week.
Current planting windows will appear here after lookup.
Year at a glance
Planting timeline
A horizontal view will appear after ZIP lookup.
Start indoors Direct sow Transplant Nursery stock
Month detail
Waiting on ZIP
Frost-based windows will appear here after lookup.
No planting windows match those filters.
Planning dates are approximate. Use local extension guidance, seed packet directions, soil temperature, and the near-term forecast before planting.
USDA zone explorer
Interactive Gardening Zone Map
Look up a ZIP, scan the national hardiness pattern, and translate the USDA zone into frost timing, summer heat, winter chill, moisture pattern, and practical plant choices.
Map view
Hardiness is only the first layer
Use ZIP lookup to place your garden on the official USDA hardiness pattern, then use the region checks below to interpret what the zone does not tell you.
Loading live GIS zone layer...
Official USDA ARS 2023 national map layer. ZIP pin is approximate; local terrain, exposure, and drainage can shift real garden behavior.
Short season / cold winter Cold-hardy temperate Long shoulder seasons Warm winter / heat-driven
Zone does not tell you: summer heat humidity soil drainage chill hours deer pressure native range frost pockets
Zone selector
Explore a hardiness zone
Click any zone to see its winter-low range and what it means in the garden.
Garden next steps
Use the map to plan, not just label
After ZIP lookup, this panel shows zone-fit starters from the plant database and links into the matcher or calendar.
Enter a ZIP code to see useful plants and planning moves for that zone.
Interactive zone overlay uses public ArcGIS vector tiles adapted from USDA/OSU 2023 hardiness data and feature data derived from USDA ARS 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map data. Static fallback image is from the 2023 USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map downloads. Selected plant overlays use Plant by ZIP database hardiness ranges; they are suitability estimates, not county-level native range maps. Plant by ZIP overlays approximate ZIP and local climate context to help translate the map into planting decisions.
Plant research table
Plant Screener
Screen the full Plant by ZIP database like a compact market table: filter by growing needs, sort by practical fields, and jump into any plant profile.
678 matches
0 plant types
401 lb returns
0 with pairings
0 portfolio
Numeric filters
Matched supplies
Useful supplies for this screen
Product links are separate from plant rankings and may earn a commission.
Plant portfolio
Saved plant portfolio
Save plants from the table to compare the numbers that matter.
Compare basket
Select up to 5 plants
Choose rows from the table to compare core metrics side by side.
| Profile |
|---|
No plants match those filters.
Saved garden workspace
Garden planner
A working shortlist from plants saved in the Screener, with quantities, yield estimates, space, risks, and supply matches in one place.
Garden settings
Site and bed budget
Saved on this device and used to flag fit, timing, and space pressure.
Add plants
Quick add plants
Search by plant name, type, trait, or crop note.
Field notes
Guides
Practical growing notes for matching plants to real yards, real weather, and the space you actually have.
Vegetable gardening
The Complete Starter Kit for a Zone 7 Vegetable Garden (2026)
A practical Zone 7 vegetable garden starter kit, organized by when you actually need each bed, seed, water, frost, tool, and pest-control item.
Read article Pest managementWhy Your Garden Is Getting Eaten Alive: A Plain Guide to Managing Pests Without Losing Your Mind
Learn how to identify the pests actually hurting your garden, when to act, and the patient, layered approach that beats spraying everything in sight.
Read article IrrigationDrip Irrigation Done Right: A Practical Guide for Fruit Trees, Berries, and Raised Beds
A working drip irrigation layout for home orchards and raised beds, built from real components in plain language.
Read article Fruit treesWhy Your Fruit Tree Isn't Producing Fruit, and What to Actually Do About It
A practical diagnosis guide for fruit trees that bloom poorly, drop fruit, or stay leafy without producing a real crop.
Read article Soil healthWhy Your Blueberries Look Miserable: A Plain Guide to Acidifying Soil
Learn why blueberries struggle in alkaline soil, how to test your pH, and the patient way to acidify soil for long-term success.
Read article Garden planningRight Plant, Right Place: How to Match Plants to the Space You Actually Have
Learn how to read light, soil, space, and climate before choosing plants that can actually thrive where you put them.
Read articleNo articles match that search.